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Xaver Hellmeier: X-Man in New York
ByHellmeier sidesteps that stumbling block by doing what he does best: keeping flawless time and letting his teammates know the X- Man has their back. That does not mean, however, that he simply disappears behind the drum kit. Hellmeier takes the first solo on the album's opening number, Rodgers and Hart's "I Could Write a Book," and shares the spotlight on several other tracks before emptying the entire arsenal on Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson's flag-waving "Tune Up." Pelt and Alexander are their usual persuasive selves throughout, as is Hazeltine, while Washington's plangent bass is a perfect complement to the X-Man's rhythmic artistry.
The session is upbeat and dynamic with two exceptions, Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington's ballad "The Nearness of You," which showcases Hazeltine's soulful piano and Washington's walking bass, and Sacha Distel's "The Good Life." Hellmeier wrote a pair of the album's more engaging numbers, "A Night in Verona" and the irrepressible closer, "Blues for JF," a nod to his mentor (and the album's producer), drummer Joe Farnsworth. Walter Booker wrote the sultry "Book's Bossa," Hank Mobley the animated "Advance Notice," Cedar Walton the exuberant "Midnight Waltz." In sum, a superb choice of material.
Which would be to no avail had Hellmeier not enlisted a group of blue-chip musicians to impart his vision. Luckily for the listener, he has done exactly that. Pelt, who plays muted and open, has seldom sounded better, while Alexander maximizes the passion in every solo and Hazeltine displays his admirable chops on every number. Washington pulls his weight, as always, while Hellmeier shows on every number why he should be far better knowna miscue that time will certainly set right. Meanwhile, groove on X-Man in New York, a splendid preamble to what promises to be a long and impressive career.
Track Listing
I Could Write a Book; Book’s Bossa; The Good Life; Advance Notice; Midnight Waltz; A Night in Verona; The Nearness of You; Tune Up; Blues for JF.
Personnel
Xaver Hellmeier
drumsJeremy Pelt
trumpetEric Alexander
saxophone, tenorDavid Hazeltine
pianoPeter Washington
bassAlbum information
Title: X-Man in New York | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Cellar Records
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Album Review
Jack Bowers
X-Man in New York
Cellar Records
Jeremy Pelt
Eric Alexander
David Hazeltine
Peter Washington
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Joe Farnsworth
Walter Booker
Hank Mobley
Cedar Walton
Xaver Hellmeier